That’s what my old boss used to say and he should know.   Jim Redmond was the chair of the University of Memphis  Department of Journalism and a long-time anchor in the Denver market.  Like all teachers and practitioners of journalism, he understood that news, by definition, is that which is unusual. That’s partly why crime, accidents, and other tragedies dominate television and print news, because bad things are not the norm.

Students getting good grades, citizens obeying the law, and dogs not biting humans; well, those incidents don’t make the news because they are everyday occurrences.  Practically speaking, it would be impossible to report all of those good things, as they happen so frequently.  Television newscasts filled with these typical events would have to run 24-hours a day and newspapers would be impossibly large.  Let’s face it – you probably wouldn’t be that interested.

The problem is that even if we as news consumers understand this, it often doesn’t feel like it.  If I asked you how many shootings took place in or around a Memphis City school last year – how many would you guess?  I assume your answer would be more than three.  But that’s exactly how many took place last year, according to the Commercial Appeal.

Of course, three shootings or even one shooting is too many, even for one of the largest school districts in the country.  The problem is that when we think of Memphis City Schools, we think of those three incidents, because that’s what made it into the news.  Unless our child experienced it, we won’t likely learn of the enriching science field trip taken by students at East High school, because that’s not news.  We blame journalists for that omission, and ask why they can’t report more good stories.  But can news operations really report every field trip, theater production and the hundreds of positive things that happen in our public schools every day?  Quite simply, no.

Let’s be honest.  Would you take pause from your day to read about a field trip taken by third-graders you don’t personally know?  On the other hand, we will all listen to the story about a knife found at a school, even if we can’t locate that school on a map.  We’re even mesmerized by violence that takes place at schools in faraway states, hundreds of miles from us.  Humans are by nature drawn to the perverse.

It’s a space where the news media and the public seem to be at an impasse.  Journalists focus on negative stories, because news by definition is the unusual.  News consumers are attracted to negative stories, because we are naturally curious about deviant behaviors and events.   Just because something is, however, doesn’t mean it’s the way it has to be.

We have entered such a state of skepticism in this country about all things public, that perhaps it is time journalists rethink the idea of what it means for something to be considered “unusual.”   Put more specifically, when the journalist is evaluating whether an event is unusual is she considering its statistical deviance or community perception?  In other words, if the community largely views public schools as dysfunctional, then perhaps it makes sense to write more stories about students, teachers or administrators doing something positive.  Perhaps stories of that nature would be considered unusual by news consumers and, therefore, compelling.

I am by no means advocating the reporting of only positive stories.  Good investigative pieces and general watchdog reporting is as essential to our country as free elections and fair trials are.  We should all crave and value a healthy dose of critical journalism.  But are journalists really seeking the truth about a community’s school district, for example, if the only stories given prominence in the paper or newscast are those of conflict, violence or controversy?  This focus on the negative, in fact, is lopsided and in no way upholds the promise of objective journalism – to be accurate, fair and balanced.

For news operations, this would mean a return to more “beat” reporting, so that reporters could thoroughly and regularly cover important civic functions such as government and education.  The Commercial Appeal and Fox 13 news both tout dedicated education reporters, but given the enormity of the coverage area (West Tennessee, North Mississippi and East Arkansas) it’s hard to imagine one reporter able to fully cover this beat.  But at least these news operations are trying.

It’s an endeavor worth pursuing. Perhaps if the public received a more accurate and balanced view of Memphis City Schools – things might start happening. Perhaps more middle-class families would stay inside the city limits and send their kids to public schools; then test scores might raise, parental involvement increase and school violence decline.

No – it’s not all in the hands of local news media.  And it’s not all the fault of local journalists that these things aren’t happening.  City government, school administrators and teachers all have to do more to change both realities and perceptions surrounding public schools.  Most importantly, though, it’s up to regular citizens to take the time and check out local schools for themselves.  Parents are only getting a small part of the story when relying entirely on news reports or stories handed down by friends of friends to inform them of a district or an individual school’s fitness.

It’s likely that some of us do more research about the movie we plan to see this weekend than the options we have for our child’s education.  We must not let stories of the unusual and the ensuing public perception dictate where our child learns, and in some case, where our entire family lives.

Imagine what our city might look like if local journalists took more of their time  reporting positive movements and events happening in public schools; imagine what would happen if parents weighed their own research against the inherent abnormality of news stories.  What then would be the story of our public schools and even our city?  I’d venture to say a whole lot better and positive than it is today.

There are two reasons it’s a bold move for me: (1) I teach broadcast journalism at the college level and (2) I was once a reporter at a local Memphis television station. If anyone should watch local news, it should be me, right?  I stopped watching for a reason, though. I feared local news was making me a little edgy about life in the Bluff City.  It’s difficult to sleep soundly at night when the last image flickering across the screen is of another shooting or stabbing.  I was beginning to wonder if this really was the place I should raise my child.  So could removing one variable from my life – watching the local news before I go to bed – change anything?

No, I didn’t bury my head in the sand. I continued to watch national news broadcasts, listen to morning news on the radio, read a national Sunday paper and check news online.  Locally, I stayed informed with the daily newspaper and other Memphis publications. When local news broke, I checked station websites and occasionally watched morning or early evening local news.  But I didn’t watch the flashing lights and yellow crime scene tape before my head hit the pillow.

Ironically, watching less news turned out to be a reality check.  I worried much less about crime, and became more concerned about our government.   I got out of bed less to check the house for a burglar, and more frequently pondered our educational system.  In other words, I spent less time worrying about the remote possibility that I would be a crime victim, and more time thinking about the issues that regularly impact my life.

The issues of government and education still don’t paint a pretty picture of Memphis, but at least there is both good and bad news on those fronts.  Whether it’s directly or indirectly, you are impacted day-to-day by local government and schools.

Unless you live in the most crime-ridden section of town or are a police officer, it’s certain that crime does not visit you on a daily basis; meaning you are not the victim of, or witness to a crime, each day.   Dr. Richard Janikowski, chair of the Criminology and Justice Center at the University of Memphis and architect of the data-driven crime fighting tool “Blue Crush,” estimates that 80% of the homicides, aggravated and simple assaults that occur in Memphis are between people who know each other.  And that’s just based on initial police reports.  Janikowski claims that as the investigation continues, detectives often find that some seemingly “random” crimes involve acquaintances or relatives.

But that’s not the feeling we get when we watch local news – is it?  A 2008 study by a graduate student at the University of Memphis found that local stations spend an average of fifty-percent of their news time reporting crime.  Does crime comprise half of any average Memphian’s day?  Of all the events that happen in the Mid-South on a daily basis, are half of those criminal? When you watch the local nightly news, are you really seeing an accurate record of the region?

So now we return to the end of my “bold experiment.”   This month, I will resume my old habit of watching the nightly local news, because if I am to write about media coverage in Memphis, I must watch it!  I am looking forward to seeing the work of my friends and former colleagues.  Make no mistake, there are excellent local television journalists doing their best to tell impactful, newsworthy stories.  I only hope that by watching the news again, my view of Memphis won’t once again be colored by fear and cynicism.